The Problem with Soup
by Greensword101
Summary: Shinji makes a lovely soup for dinner, but Misato wants to know what the secret ingredient is...


"I'm home!" Misato shouted as she entered the apartment.

"Dinner's on the stovetop, Misato," Asuka called back.

Misato stepped into the kitchen, where Shinji and Asuka were already helping themselves to bowls of soup. Asuka looked as though she won the lottery. Shinji looked a little…tense. She sniffed once and grinned,

"Looks good, I'll get a bowl."

"Um…" Shinji began.

Moments later, Misato had a large bowl of soup with a slice of bread on the side. She dipped her spoon into the brown, warm broth and brought it to her mouth. Pause. Swallow. Then…

"This soup is _great_ , Shinji!" Misato smiled. She took another spoonful, "You really outdid yourself!"

Shinji blushed and ducked his head. Misato turned to Asuka,

"Asuka, tell me you're thinking the same thing."

"It's…fine, I guess," Asuka shrugged, but Misato saw her hiding a grin, "There's a lot of onions in here, though."

"That's the point," Shinji muttered, "It's French Onion Soup."

"And look at how much you made!" Misato nodded to the large pot on the stovetop, "We'll be eating this for _days!_ I could get used to this."

"That's not even all of it, Misato," Asuka grinned. Shinji waved his hands frantically at her, shaking his head, but she continued, "In fact, he was giving the soup away by the cup, earlier. Those Two Stooges at school took some home, Hikari got some, even Doctor Akagi took some soup with her when she came by."

Asuka sighed, "If only _Kaji_ would have come along. I'm sure he would have _loved_ it."

"Maybe you should open a restaurant after the Angels are gone, Shinji," Misato teased, "French Onion Soup as your signature dish!"

"Well, I-I guess so," Shinji muttered, slinking into his seat.

"So, what's the occasion?" Misato began gulping down the rest of the soup, dribble coming down her chin, "Lots of great soup, toasted bread on the side. It's almost like you were having a party, earlier."

"To celebrate the last of your beer, of course!" Asuka said brightly, "Of _course_ we had to celebrate it."

"Hmm?" _Guess I'll have to get more, then_. Misato thought. _Why are we celebrating it, though?_

"You want to know the ingredients to Shinji's soup?" Asuka asked.

Misato swallowed the soup and nodded, making her way back to the stovetop to get some more, "Sure! I could try making it some time."

"I'd rather you didn't," Shinji muttered. Misasto knew that he and Ritsuko were on the same page when it came to her idea of a home-cooked meal. Everybody was a critic, it seemed.

"I have to admit, you're liking this as much as your beer," Asuka continued, moving from the table and towards the sink. Misato nodded, ladling soup into her bowl until it nearly overflowed, and began to drink it like water.

"In fact, one of the main ingredients _was_ beer. _Yours_ , to be exact."

" _PSSSSSSSSSH!_ " Asuka screamed and began wiping off the soup that was sprayed onto her. "WHAT?!"

"I'll let you handle this one, Third Child," Asuka muttered, "I need to take a bath. Cleanses the soul, rejuvenates the body, whatever it is you say about it, Misato. Ta-ta!"

"Shinji," Misato said quietly, as Asuka walked quickly out of the room, "She was joking, right? We still have beer?"

"…no…."

"LIAR!" Misato exclaimed. She opened the fridge and found no beer cans inside. None at all. She began to sweat. She opened the cabinets and saw them filled with spices with the price tags still on them. Misato even checked the trash bin, only to find it only contained dirty paper towels.

"The…the soup…?" She pointed to the large pot on the stovetop while Shinji slowly backed into his room. "You…used… _my_ beer…for cooking? _All of it?!_ "

"Yes…"

Misato sank to the ground, arms raised to the sky, and opened her mouth, "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

"IT WAS ASUKA'S IDEA!" Shinji yelled before he slammed the door to his room behind him.

"ASUKA!" Misato stormed into the bathroom right as Asuka scrambled out in her soup-stained blouse

"YOU HAVE A PROBLEM! THIS IS AN INTERVENTION!" Asuka shouted as she ran around the apartment, with Misato nipping at her heels.

In the privacy of his bedroom, Shinji sighed. Asuka _did_ want to get rid of all the beer, but he insisted that they shouldn't waste it. That was when she suggested putting the beer into _actual_ use.

Was cooking for at least fifty to sixty people exhausting? Yes.

Was it worth it to force Misato to go cold turkey? Probably…


End file.
